Articles

Veterans Day is Friday, Nov. 11: When in doubt, call before leaving home. Banks: Most banks are closed, financial markets will be open. Government: City, county, federal and state offices, superior courts, and libraries will be closed.

Skydivers parachuted into Baldwin Park Friday afternoon to help the city celebrate Veterans Day. The Golden Stars Skydiving Team featured Army veteran Jay Fragoso, who performed his 2,771 career jump into Morgan Park.

The billboard reads, “Happy Memorial Day.” It so annoyed one US Marine who fought in Vietnam that he complained about it to a fellow veteran. This is a day for remembering the names and faces of those Americans who fought and died, he said.

WEST COVINA >> Freedom is not free. It’s a saying Rosemary Rodriguez knows well. Her younger brother Joel Sabel was serving as a combat medic for the U.S. Army when he was killed in action in Vietnam in 1967.

BURBANK >> For decades, softball player Sal Arturo Silva was a powerhouse on the pitching mound and a slugger at home plate. Then one day the decorated Vietnam War veteran began stumbling around the bases, sometimes tripping over his right foot.

ARCADIA >> More than four decades after the official end of the Vietnam War, a local monument is being unveiled that honors the 14 Arcadia servicemen killed in the conflict. A dedication ceremony for the Arcadia Vietnam War Monument will be held at 2 p.

WHITTIER >> Fifteen years after launching a campaign to heal some of the nation’s historic wounds and honor Vietnam veterans for their service, Jose Ramos hosted his last Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day event in his hometown of Whittier, where it all began.

WEST COVINA >> City, state and federal officials commemorated Veterans Day with a ground breaking-ceremony Wednesday afternoon for a long-awaited memorial that will pay tribute to West Covina residents who lost their lives while serving in the military.

PICO RIVERA >> With about 500 people in attendance, city officials hosted its annual Veterans Day celebration near the city’s Veterans Memorial and Eternal Flame and used to highlight the service of Korean War veterans.

LOS ANGELES -- Veterans Day will be marked in Los Angeles County today by a parade in the northeast San Fernando Valley and events at Forest Lawn Memorial Park-Hollywood Hills and in Commerce designed to improve the financial and physical health of men and women who served in the armed forces of the United States.

ARCADIA >> When World War II veteran Jack McEwan boarded the plane for the annual Southland Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., the crew had a surprise in store that brought both him and his son to tears.

A dog in bed might be a nuisance to some. For Ruchir Patel, a 31-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Murrieta, when a 3-year-old Labrador retriever named Zeppelin hops into bed, it means his new best friend is on duty.

SOUTH PASADENA >> Joan Moffet grew up in a patriotic household. Her father served in the Army during WWI, so it wasn’t much of a thought for her to enter the Army as a nurse right after graduating from nursing school in 1945.

When in doubt, call before leaving home. Banks: New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are open, SIFMA (Bond Market) is closed. Major banks, including Bank of America, Chase and Wells Fargo will be closed.

They had a front row seat to history, from World War II and the Tet Offensive to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the war in Afghanistan, but it was the spot next to their loved ones that veterans at a local school cherished most.

MONTEREY PARK >> After spending nearly four years as a prisoner of war in Japan’s cruel Camp Omori during World War II, former Army Sgt. Bill Sanchez said his whole being reacted the first time he heard “The Star-Spangled Banner.

From the time he graduated Bellflower High School, Delfino Ballesteros knew only one life — as a member of the United States Navy. A year ago the 32-year-old decided it was time to move on with his life and see what the civilian world had to offer.

AZUSA: The Azusa Veterans Memorial Committee will host a Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. today in front of Azusa City Hall, 213 E. Foothill Blvd., Azusa. The ceremony will include performances by the Foothill Middle School band and Glendora High School bagpipers.

West Covina officials will unveil a newly green lit design for a long-delayed veterans memorial today at a ceremony honoring past and present soldiers. The reveal of memorial’s rendering takes place at today’s Veterans Day ceremony at 1 p.

COVINA >> In a massive display of gratitude to American military veterans, officials Sunday unveiled a sea of stars and stripes that will remain as a silent tribute to those who have served throughout the week at Covina’s Field of Valor.

Every day, in some way, Edward Samaniego is thinking about ways to honor America’s veterans. Sometimes it’s just taking the time to say, “Thank you for your service.” Then there are other times when he strives to do more.

SAN DIMAS >> The most profound gift Americans can receive is the gift of freedom. And the people who protect and preserve it are extra special. This is how the Rev. Rich Danyluk of San Dimas, senior pastor of Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church; church Stars and Stripes Ministry President Joe Martinez of La Verne and Ron Hale of La Verne, grand knight of the church’s Knights of Columbus Father Thomas Lyons Council 5696, explain the reason for the special Mass to be celebrated for military veterans and active-duty personnel Saturday.

Thousands of wounded veterans in military hospitals, medical centers and rehabilitation facilities across the country have been visited by model Gina Elise and gifted one of her 1940s-inspired Pin-Ups for Vets calenders.

FONTANA >> A 51-year-old military veteran from Fontana fought off an attempted robbery after the two alleged assailants surrounded him Sunday night. Police said the suspected attackers were arrested a short time later.

Along the sunbaked banks of the Rio Hondo, Benny Perea squats in a squalid homeless camp littered with trash and reeking of urine and feces. The 78-year-old Navy veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars has few possessions: denim shorts, tank top, pair of jeans and a blanket.

COVINA >> Two recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor were among veterans honored Sunday at the opening ceremony for the Covina Field of Valor. In front of a display of more than 2,000 American Flags meticulously placed on the field of Sierra Vista Middle School, grateful citizens listened to stories of heroism and sacrifice, as well as love and the unconquerable spirit.

Professional artist and San Dimas High School art teacher Dominic Black and his students believe art should be connected to a higher purpose. Black’s talented teenagers use their artistic skills to convey their feelings and sense of pride in their school, community and, with their fourth public art project honoring men and women who fought for human rights and freedom, the nation.

After 45 years, memories are faded and patchy. An older brother pulling his younger siblings in a wagon. Spending time with the family on hunting trips, going fishing, enjoying the outdoors. And then a little later, memories of a long drive — from Bedford, Ind.

ARCADIA >> His flight was booked for a Veterans Day trip to Hawaii, and Arthur Del Rey was unpacking a host of memories. As he hauled out memorabilia, the man who enlisted in the service after the Dec.

Transporting fallen troops from the battlefield can change one’s perspective. It certainly did for Benjamin Lopez. The 24-year-old former Marine, now a biology major at Cal State Northridge, went from an admittedly unmotivated student in high school to a serious scholar after nearly five years in the military.

COVINA >> The Covina Rotary Club’s second annual Field of Valor will feature 2,027 full-size flags as a tribute to veterans. The charitable event’s opening ceremonies take place Sunday morning, but today guests can watch the flag parade, in which volunteers and veterans will place each of the flags at Sierra Vista Junior High.

Banks: Banks will be closed. Most financial markets will be open. Government: City, county and federal offices, libraries and superior courts will be closed. Mail: The U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail.

Diamond Bar honored its veterans Thursday at its annual Veterans Recognition Ceremony in the Diamond Bar Center. The city had a packed house as veterans greeted each other warmly, sharing a camaraderie that comes with serving their country.